Arrest made in connection with hit-and-run bicycle fatality

VALENTINE, Neb. — The Cherry County Sheriff's Department has made an arrest in connection to the death of a Tour de Nebraska bicycle rider in a hit-and-run collision early Saturday morning. The accident occurred approximately 3.5 miles west of Valentine on Highway 20, an area off the designated Tour de Nebraska route.

A state fatality report identified the victim as Larry Covalciuc, 82. No further details about the incident have been released at this time.

The Cherry County Sheriff's Department thanked the Grant, Hooker, and Arthur County Sheriff’s Offices and the Nebraska State Patrol for their assistance in the investigation.

The Sheriff's Department expressed its deepest condolences to Covalciuc's family and the entire Tour de Nebraska community.

Approximately 400 bicyclists participated in this year's 36th annual Tour de Nebraska, riding from Springview to Bassett to Ainsworth and Valentine before returning to Springview, covering at least 265 miles.